Personnel moving on foot are often required to carry a large amount of equipment. Such personnel may include firefighters, infantry soldiers, law enforcement personnel, hikers, and forest rangers. For example, an infantry soldier, depending on the nature of a particular task or mission, may be required to carry weapons, ammunition, water, food, body armor, tools, communication equipment, and reconnaissance equipment. The weight of this equipment may be substantial (e.g. similar to the weight of the body of the person carrying the load).
Since the items carried by users of a load bearing system typically vary from user to user, and from occasion to occasion, many such systems include interchangeable components. A typical system may be designed with various interchangeable front and back panels. For example, different types of panels may be provided with different distributions of pockets and equipment carriers. As another example, a panel may be provided with a pocket or other arrangement enabling insertion of a plate of body armor. The type and thickness of the armor plate may be selected in accordance with an anticipated need for the purpose of a particular task or mission. For example, a load bearing system with interchangeable panels has been described by Tishler et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,792.
In many carrier systems designed to carry such equipment, the weight of such equipment is borne only by the shoulders of the person carrying the load. The result may be excessive force on the person's shoulder and back. In addition to causing discomfort to the person carrying the equipment, the excessive force could lead to back pain or injury.
In order to reduce excessive forces on the shoulders and back, load bearing systems have been designed that include a belt or band. The belt or band may be placed around the person's waist. In this manner, the belt or band may at least partially support the load. Thus, at least part of the load may be supported by the person's waist or pelvic area. For example, a load bearing system that includes a waist belt has been described by Twito et al. in US publication 2008/0010730.
However, even when the weight load is shared by the shoulders and the waist, the distribution of the weight may not be optimal or comfortable. In addition, while carrying a load, the optimal distribution of the weight may change. For example, as a part of the body that is bearing most of the weight load becomes fatigued, it may be more comfortable to redistribute the weight load. In addition, a load that is connected to both shoulder straps and a waist belt may restrict movement of the body. For example, a person carrying such a load may have difficultly bending the upper part of the body.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a load carrier device that enables a person to comfortably and effectively carry a load.
Other aims and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the present invention and reviewing the accompanying drawings.